Ride Profile
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Braving the Croc Drop
Chessington World of Adventures’ latest offering is more than just a drop tower, it’s an experience and a show rolled into one says Marcus Gaines of Ride and Park Media.
A
s Rameses’ Revenge fell silent across the Forbidden Kingdom, the ancient Egyptian Crocodile god, Sobek
placed a curse upon the land turning the river Nile stagnant. Only the brave can take on Chessington World of Adventure’s newest ride as they try to break the curse.
The experience
begins as the temple doors open, with plumes of smoke and lighting creating a sense of doom as you must enter.
The 25m tall Croc Drop is an elaborately
themed drop tower from SBF Visa. The base of the tower is enclosed within a temple that has hieroglyphics etched into the walls, hiding a secret message. But far more imposing is the giant crocodile head coming up out of the roof
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of the temple, with the ride tower coming up through the jaws. The experience begins as the temple doors
open, with plumes of smoke and lighting creating a sense of doom as you must enter. The small group of 16 riders quickly find their seats as Sobek warns of the danger ahead with the music building, the ride begins. The gondola is slowly raised up and guests
begin to see the views over the park as they rise up out of the crocodile jaws. The ride gondola can rotate, but this option isn’t always active. No sooner have you reached the top than you’re plummeting back down past the scarily close looking teeth. But the ride doesn’t end there, as the gondola goes back and you’re thrilled by even more plunges into the crocodile mouth. At one point you think it’s over and you’re going to be slowly lowered back down the rest of the way, but no, there’s one last little drop to make sure you let out one last scream. As you exit the ride, through the gift shop,
you can be relieved that you braved the drop and released the curse.
Croc Drop is the first new ride at Chessington
World of Adsventures since 2013 when Zufari: Ride into Africa opened. It’s also not the only new ride to have opened at the park in 2021, as the Blue Barnacle pirate ship from Metallbau Emmeln also opened as a direct replacement for the Black Buccaneer pirate ship that had opened in 1988 from Huss Rides. Which is quite apt, because Croc Drop
replaced another attraction from Huss Rides, Ramases Revenge a Top Spin. Ramases Revenge always felt a little out of place at the park, which is very much family orientated with no other extreme thrill ride on offer. So Croc Drop, as a family thrill ride, feels a much better fit for the park. Chessington World of Adventures have
very much been focusing on enhancing the guest experience in recent years, upgrading existing attractions with improved theming, new soundtracks, and added effects. So, it’s welcoming to see the same ethos applied to Croc Drop. The ride is more than just a drop tower, it’s
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021
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